Tsugaru Channel Swimming Association (TCSA) 津軽海峡遠泳協会

Information, contacts and swimmers' stories about swimming in the Tsugaru Channel between Honshu, the main island of Japan, and Hokkaido, an 18K strait of fast-moving currents and abundant marine life and one of the Oceans Seven channels

Sunday, June 14, 2015

In addition to the dozens of native Japanese masters swimmers who will attempt to cross the Tsugaru Channel this summer, several Oceans Seven channel swimmers from overseas will also make the attempt to cross from Honshu to Hokkaido in northern Japan.

Although the straight-line distance across the channel is less than 20 km, swimmers have an option to take the more risky straight-line tangent or a more curvaceous route where the swimmers attempt to slingshot their way across the channel riding along the Tsugaru Current. "It is a longer course, but more conservative without the speed demands of the Tappi Misaki course," says Moriya.

"Swimmers can take the Kodomari Route pioneered by David Yudovin in 1990 where they start at Kodomari fishing port on Aomori Prefecture," explains Steven Munatones who also crossed in 1990. "Or they can take the Tappi Misaki Route that has a much lower success percentage, but a shorter distance.

Whether swimmers take the more conservative Kodomari Route where the Tsugaru Current pushes the swimmer towards Hokkaido or the higher risk Tappi Misaki Route where the swimmers have to fight against some strong lateral currents, Captain Mizushima will aim towards Hokkaido's Shirakami Misaki. Either way - curvaceous or straight - there are very high probabilities that the swimmers are going to hit challenging eddies towards the end as they approach Hokkaido. This tidal, current and wind information comes directly from the engineers who built the Seikan Tunnel that runs directly below the Tappi Misaki Route.

While the 33.7 km English Channel and 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel are well-known, the Sado Channel is a tough 40 km crossing on the western seaboard of Japan. Sado Island is a remote island where Japanese political exiles were sent for nearly 1,000 years beginning in the 8th century.

The island was the place of the harshest exile throughout a millennium where many anti-government intellectuals were banished and never returned. Similar to the locations of many other prison island swims around the world, the remote island prison has now been transformed itself into a tourist destination and channel swimming goal.

Team Kizuna completed a two-way 80 km crossing of the Sado Channel between July 21st and 22nd 2012, a one-way crossing of the Sado Channel on August 3rd 2013, and a one-way crossing of the Tsugaru Channel on August 23rd 2013. They plan to attempt the last stage by crossing the English Channel sometime between July 10th and 15th 2015.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Japanese distance freestyler started swimming at the age of five and continued doing well throughout his school years where he retired as a national-level swimmer.

Four years ago, the 24-year-old Japanese became hooked on open water swimming when he saw a relay crossing of the Tsugaru Channel broadcast on television. "I was both inspired and surprised by the relay. Someday, I was absolutely sure that I would attempt this challenge," he promised to himself.

He understood that balance was hard to maintain with the waves and turbulence, but the ambiance of the open water attracted him. "It was much different from the pool and the goal was that everyone was smiling. I was hooked," Setsumasa recalls.

He started competing in - and winning - open water swims throughout Japan.

He became the first person from Kyushu to complete the channel when he finished on Cape Shirakami in 7 hours 30 minutes, the fourth fastest crossing in history and the fastest of any Japanese swimmer.

With the water temperature raising from 23.7ºC to 26ºC soon after his start at the Kodomari fishing port on Aomori Prefecture and initial calm conditions, his initial experience was very positive; something he did not expect.

"The water temperature was warmer than I thought and I was moving well [at 5 kph]. I swam comfortably during the first hour as it served as a warm-up and replenished on jellies and sports drink every 30 minutes."

However, as they hit the 20 km mark, he gradually became sore with no feeling below his elbow. As he hit the eddies and turbulence from the waters of the Sea of Japan mixing with the Pacific Ocean currents, he was tossed left and right and had a hard time to focus.

At one point with the shoreline in sight, it took him over 10 minutes to travel as little as 100 meters. But he came ashore, tired and successful - far faster than any Japanese or Asian over the 25-year-old history of crossing the Tsugaru Channel.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Team Umiou (海王《うみおう》) started out in cold, wet and dreary conditions on one side of the Tsugaru Channel, but finished under better conditions in their 12 hour 45 minute crossing from Hokkaido to Honshu. Captain Mizushima escorted Tomokazu Sakurai, Nobu Arihisa, Yuko Isozaki, Shinpei Kamata, Fujiko Kawasaki and Motoko Honma in northern Japan.

The team escorted by Captain Mizushima landed on Hokkaido's Shirakami Misaki after swimming south to north from Honshu, the main island of Japan, across the Tsugaru Channel, to the northernmost island of Hokkaido. Their course was relatively straight, comparatively rare among Tsugaru Channel crossings, although they hit a challenging eddy towards the end.

Monday, November 17, 2014

For years, he toiled in the world's oceans with minimal publicity and little public recognition.

For decades, he continued to rake up an impressive list of successful swims that pioneered courses across many channels.

Stroke after stroke, mile after mile, hour after hour including through the Tsugaru Channel, he swam through cold, warm, rough, calm, salty and sharky waters, escorted by his wife, enabled by his co-workers, and constantly supported by his family.

The reputation and talents of David Yudovin were well-known among the small niche of marathon swimmers and channel swimmers in the 20th century, but his exploits are only now becoming widely acknowledged by those who follow in his wake.

Yudovin was not only inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame this year, but he also became the namesake of an award: the Yudovin Award.

The Yudovin Award honors the single most adventurous swim of the year as voted upon by the MSF membership. The MSF explains its newest award, "The Yudovin Award is meant to recognize the spirit of adventure, the most interesting swim, or the most unusual swim."

In the twilight of his 4-decade career, Yudovin continues to add luster to the sport.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

A day after the latest Japanese relay team crossed the Tsugaru Channel, Dr. Steven Minaglia from Honolulu, Hawaii is getting ready for his own solo Tsugaru Channel attempt.

From his hotel room on Tappi Misaki, he has been watching the whitewater and wind chop typically blow across the Tsugaru Current. Eddies, chop and marine life await the specialist in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Hawaii who has crossed several channels in Hawaii and the Strait of Gibraltar.

Photo by Dr. Minaglia shows Honshu (Tappi Misaki*) in the foreground and Hokkaido (Shirakami Misaki*) in the background where the current typically flows quickly from west to east (left to right in the photo) unless it is punctuated with swirling eddies.

Note: The Seikan Tunnel (青函トンネル) runs underneath the channel with a 23.3 km (14.5 mile) portion under the seabed very close to the optimal swimmer's course. The rail track is about 100 meters below the seabed and 240 meters below sea level.

The team traveled south to north, swimming from Honshu, the main island of Japan, across the Tsugaru Channel, to the northernmost island of Hokkaido. Their course was relatively straight, comparatively rare among Tsugaru Channel crossings, although they hit a challenging eddy towards the end.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

We never understand why swimmers who attempt the Tsugaru Channel in Japan start from the eastern peninsula on Honshu. The currents, tides and eddies have proven time and time again to prevent swimmers from successfully crossing the Tsugaru Channel.

History has proven that the chances of success starting from the east in order to reach the northern island of Hokkaido are extraordinarily low.

With his 7 hour 29 minute crossing of the Tsugaru Channel last week, Mányoki continues to be a topic in the television news in his native Hungary. "Every day there was news about my days in Japan. On Saturday evening during the main news time, my swim across the Tsugaru Channel was reported and broadcast. It was also shown during the Sunday morning news shows too. And the TV stations are waiting for me [to return]."

The image above shows the typical course of swimmers who start from the eastern peninsula...before being pulled out.

Attila Mányoki completed the Japanese leg of the Oceans Seven, a risky swim across the Tsugaru Channel. He was the first Hungarian to complete the swim and only the thirteenth swimmer to successfully cross this channel. The athlete from Zalaegerszeg Mokkában [in western Hungary] said there was a lot of risk in the attempt. He was accompanied by two escort boats in an attempt to keep sharks away. Attila said that the crossing was longer than anticipated by 4-5 kilometers while four-meter shark approached him. The 37.1 km swim was ultimately completed in 7 hours 29 minutes.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Attila Mányoki was accompanied by a crew from the largest Hungarian broadcasting company and did his country proud with a very fast 7 hour 29 minute crossing of the Tsugaru Channel in Japan.

The professional marathon swimmer had to wait a few days for a typhoon to pass so both he and the television crew were nervous that his window would pass. But when the typhoon turned away from Honshu, the post-storm calm was inviting. Mányoki took off fast from the shores of Honshu and never let down until he reached Hokkaido.

His time across the Tsugaru Channel was the third fastest of all time and the fastest since 1990.

As she was closing in on Hokkaido, the currents and eddies pushed her far east for the last two hours. "I was expecting this, but man, those currents were strong. The swim streamer was at a right angle to the boat [then]."

But her strategy was spot on. "My shoulders are oddly sore, but I am sure that is because i started out of the gate as fast as I could because I was worried about the [Tsugaru] current. [In contrast] I spent the first 3 hours slow and steady in the English Channel and Catalina. But overall, I am in much better shape than [after completing] the Molokai Channel [in 19 hours 27 minutes]."

One thing that we have observed is that Chambers is getting stronger and faster as she climbs up the Oceans Seven chart. "I am trying my best. And simply loving the personal journey and seeing how far I can push my mind and my body. I have many more swims to do."